Our lab is broadly interested in transmembrane and sensory signaling based on channels, pursuing both biophysical mechanisms and bioengineering innovations.

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The central focus of our lab is ion channels, the third largest superfamily of signaling proteins. We are particularly attracted by the amazing capabilities of ion channels in sensing exogenous stimuli of diverse modality, such as transmembrane potentials, ionic signals, mechanical forces and electromagnetic radiations. '''How exactly would ion channels sense, transduce and process the stimuli (i.e., energy and information) at submolecular, molecular and cellular levels?''' Based on these core biophysics, we pursue mechanistic understanding, pathophysiological ramifications and bioengineering innovations, of transmembrane signaling via ion channels, especially those related to sensory functions, including vision, taste, hearing and other less-studied modalities.

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One of the most important signaling pathways to convey information from external world into biological systems is by way of channels sitting across the membrane. Such channels: could be cued either by physical (e.g. voltage or photons) or by chemical signals (e.g. toxins or ions); could be either natural channels (e.g. ion channels conductive to Ca<sup>2+</sup> or K<sup>+</sup>) or engineered channels (e.g., nanopores by ultrasound). We mainly focus on fundamental mechanisms critical to channel complexes involved in transmembrane signaling, especially those related to sensory functions, such as vision, taste, hearing and other less-studied modalities. Representative work toward this direction refers to [http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v463/n7283/full/nature08766.html '''Liu X.''' ''et. al.'' '''Nature''']. Meanwhile, we actively explore the potentials of novel methodologies developed or derived from our basic research, such as biomolecular sensors and actuators. [http://openwetware.org/wiki/User:Xiaodong_Liu#Publications relevant publications]

The central focus of our lab is ion channels, the third largest superfamily of signaling proteins. We are particularly attracted by the amazing capabilities of ion channels in sensing exogenous stimuli of diverse modality, such as transmembrane potentials, ionic signals, mechanical forces and electromagnetic radiations. How exactly would ion channels sense, transduce and process the stimuli (i.e., energy and information) at submolecular, molecular and cellular levels? Based on these core biophysics, we pursue mechanistic understanding, pathophysiological ramifications and bioengineering innovations, of transmembrane signaling via ion channels, especially those related to sensory functions, including vision, taste, hearing and other less-studied modalities.